


Piano Man

by kaitlia777



Category: Castle
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-05
Updated: 2011-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-20 03:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/208365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitlia777/pseuds/kaitlia777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the end of Last Call, what happened at the bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Piano Man

After exiting the precinct, belting out a pretty good rendition of Billy Joel’s Piano Man, Detectives Javier Esposito, Kevin Ryan, Kate Becket and their Captain, Roy Montgomery, accompanied Rick Castle to The Old Haunt, Martha in tow. As the bar had just changed hands again when Castle bought the place, it had to close down for a couple of nights while the paperwork, liquor license and stuff were straightened out.

But the author did have the keys to the place and there was nothing saying he couldn’t have friends there for a drink…as long as he wasn’t selling any booze. And considering the four people he had invited to the bar were police officer, he wasn’t going to be breaking any laws.

After breaking out the glasses from behind the bar, Rick poured each of them a glass of the 1875 St. Miriam Rock of Scotland Scotch Whiskey and they sipped, enjoying the beverage. Montgomery, Mother and Beckett sat at the bar, while Ryan and Esposito wandered, exploring the place.

There had been the expected commentary about his old picture before Javi began poking at the stock behind the bar and Ryan went to inspect the piano.

Of course, that made Mother muse, “You’re keeping the piano, right, Kiddo?”

He grinned. “It wouldn’t be The Old Haunt without Eddie, Mother,” he commented, then cocked his head to the side. Ryan had settled himself onto the piano bench and was soundlessly touching the keys. Across the room, Esposito was the only other person who’d noticed and his eyes were focused on his partners slim fingers.

The first, hesitant few notes rang out in the quiet air of the bar, causing Beckett, the Captain and Mother to all turn in their seats. Rick hadn’t known the youngest detective played the piano and it was clear his co-workers were similarly unaware of this skill set. Mother just looked thrilled and Rick held back a groan, knowing she’d soon be up and prodding Ryan to play so she could sing along.

After a moment, the random notes coalesced into a tune and Mother, always the instigator, called out, “Sing it, Sweetheart.”

It was clear that Ryan kind of laughed at that, but, to everyone’s surprise, he followed her instruction and began to sing along as he picked out a tune on the ivory keys.

On Raglan Road on an autumn day  
I saw her first and knew  
That her dark hair would weave a snare  
That I might one day rue  
I saw the danger and I passed  
Along the enchanted way  
And I said: 'Let grief, be a fallen leaf  
At the dawning of the day'

Ryan’s voice was a nice compliment to the melancholy tune and he seemed to grow more comfortable with the piano the longer he played, like it was something he hadn’t done in a while. The captain seemed content to nod along, while Mother began to hum (Rick was sure she’d join in at some point). Beckett…Kate, was smiling, but the grin faltered for a moment.

On Grafton Street in November  
We tripped lightly along the ledge  
Of a deep ravine where can be seen  
Song text taken from stlyrics.com  
The worth of passion's pledge  
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts  
And I not making hay  
Oh I loved too much and by such  
By such is happiness thrown away

Following her gaze, Rick saw that she too had noticed the way Esposito had been watching his partner. At the moment, the man’s eyes were filled with a fondness that went far beyond your typical partner-type bond. Usually, he was far more subtle than that. Must be the combination of the music and the really, really exquisite scotch.

I gave her gifts of the mind  
I gave her the secret signs  
That's known to the artists who have known  
The true gods of sound and stone  
And word and tint did not stint  
I gave her poems to say  
With her own name there and her own dark hair  
Like clouds over fields of May

Turning her head slightly, Kate met his eyes and they shared a moment of communion and sympathy. A startling number of people at the precinct had been sure Ryan and Esposito were a couple and the fact that Jenny was real was a bit of a shock. It just seemed that the two detectives had something…special, a spark between them.

Yup, there went Mother, scooping up her drink and Joining Ryan for the end of the song.

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet  
I see her walking now  
Away from me so hurriedly  
My reason must allow  
That had I loved not as I should  
A creature made of clay  
When the angel woos the clay  
He'd lose his wings at the dawn of day

As they wrapped the song up and Esposito rallied himself so he wouldn’t be caught gazing at his partner in such a way, Rick reflected Ryan’s song choice, wondering if perhaps he was being sappy and reading too much into it. The detective had been singing, quite passionately, about pursuing a relationship, knowing it was going to end, wasting time in the frivolous pursuit of a woman, doing all he could to please her and, in the end, when things went south, he regretted the time that was lost.

Of course, Rick had always been one to read into words, to look for abstract meaning in a line of text. Could have been that Ryan was just singing a song he knew.

He thought his theory made a better story. Plus, the sad little smile Ryan tossed toward his partner, as the last bars of the song rang out, held a sort of fond wistfulness that echoes Esposito’s earlier expression.

Whatever the truth was, Rick was rooting for the two of them.

Raising her glass of Bo James’s Scotch, Mother said, “Lovely, Sweetheart. Do you know Copacabana?”

That broke the quiet atmosphere in the bar and, as the peppier tune filled the room and Mother began to sing, Esposito made his way back to the bar to sit down. Rick poured a little more scotch into his glass and took a seat himself.

Beckett smiled at him and hooked her right arm through his left, doing the same to Esposito on the other side. Javier grinned at Rick over her head and mouthed, “Booze.”

Huh. Apparently, alcohol made Kate huggy. Good to know.

God knew, sometimes everyone could use a hug.

* * *

Comments, pretty please?


End file.
